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Historical Topographic Maps - Preserving the Past

The goal of The National Map’s Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) is to provide a digital repository of USGS 1:250,000 scale and larger maps printed between 1884 and 2006.

Legacy U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Maps 

The Historical Topographic Map Collection, or HTMC, provides a comprehensive digital repository of all scales and all editions of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) printed topographic maps that is easily discovered, browsed, and downloaded by the public at no cost. 

In 2011, the USGS National Geospatial Program began publishing scans of 1:250,000-scale and larger topographic maps printed between 1884, the inception of the topographic mapping program, and 2006, when the final maps created using traditional cartographic methods and lithographic printing processes were published. Many of these maps are no longer available for distribution in print. 

Today, the HTMC contains over 185,000 high-resolution, georeferenced digital files, with accompanying metadata, representing these legacy maps. 

 
Accessing the HTMC 
  • The National Map Downloader is the primary portal for finding and downloading maps and other data products of the USGS National Geospatial Program. 

  • The topoView application provides a visual overview of the HTMC and serves maps in additional formats.

  • The USGS Store website offers map downloads and sells prints of map files, including USGS maps and publications that are not included in either the US Topo series or HTMC. 

Gif showing change over time as depicted by USGS topographic maps in the Vienna, VA quad
Change over time in the Reston, Virginia area on USGS topographic maps dating from the 1950s to the 1990s.
 
A Glimpse into the Past 

Although the historical maps may not show the current landscape, they are often useful to scientists, historians, environmentalists, genealogists, and many others as a snapshot of the nation's physical and cultural features at a particular time. A series of maps of the same area may show how it looked as early as the 1880s and provide a detailed view of changes in that area over time. 

As the USGS continues the production of the current generation of topographic maps (US Topo), the topographic map remains an indispensable tool for government, science, industry, land management planning, and recreation. 

Browse Image of 1890 Historical Topographic Map
Browse Image of 1890 historical topographic map for the Newburyport, NH quadrangle, a digital map in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

Additional Resources

Download Historic Maps from The National Map

Download Historic Maps from The National Map

US Topo: Maps for America

US Topo: Maps for America

National Geospatial Program Training Videos

National Geospatial Program Training Videos

Create Custom Topographic Maps using topoBuilder

Create Custom Topographic Maps using topoBuilder